Just Really Good Friends
by RockyGlenn
Summary: Hermione needs to get away from Ron, after a fight. Her parents are away and she chooses to stay with Harry. Just a couple of friends living together, right?
1. Chapter 1 The Boy Who Lived

"I've managed to fix up the house a little." Harry wrote on a piece of parchment. "No more house elf heads or screaming portraits or vials of blood. It actually starts to look like a home. A big home. A rather empty home." He paused for a moment and looked at Teddy in his crib. He was finally managing to fall asleep. Harry smiled softly as the vibrant blue of his hair started to dim into a soft pink color. Harry put down the mirror shard and went back to his letter.

"If you and Ron or anyone else at the burrow would ever want to visit, I'm sure that Teddy would be happy to see someone other than me for a while." Harry sighed and adjusted his glasses for a moment. He glanced from his spot in the drawing room out the door. This house was all his, given to him by his godfather. His family home. Ever since the war ended last year, he's been working on making the house more hospitable. Ginny and he had dated for a while, but she soon realized that outside of the war and Voldemort and horcruxes and being the chosen one, the boy who lived, he was just regular Harry Potter. Sadly, now that the house was done, he had nothing to do. The house was empty except for Teddy and Harry. It was such a big house, but there was nothing in it. To be honest, Harry was lonely.

After Ginny broke up with Harry, Molly Weasley wasn't exactly happy, but she still looked at Harry as one of her own. She had invited him to the burrow for everything from a meal to live permanently. Harry declined every time. He was given this house for a reason and he intended to keep it. It was his to keep. There was a crack next to Harry and he looked over to see Kreacher, wiping his hands on his shirt.

"There are fresh biscuits in the kitchen. Does the master require anything else from Kreacher before he returns to the school kitchens?" Kreacher's voice croaked next to Harry. Harry shook himself out of his dream-like state to look at the aged house elf.

"No, thank you, Kreacher." Kreacher nodded and with a crack, he was gone again. Harry sighed and returned to his letter. He wanted to send this out to Hermione tonight and she would receive it the next day. Harry missed his friends. He was so lonely. Ron and Hermione were dating. Harry knew that Hermione was spending a lot of time at the burrow and he wasn't excited about that fact. Harry needed to be here with Teddy in this house, but he wanted to be at the burrow. He wanted to be with his family. He wanted to see Ron. He wanted to see Hermione.

"Everyone there is welcome to the house for Christmas. Everyone in the order." He wrote, realizing how lonely he actually felt. "As long as Mrs. Weasley helps with the cooking a bit. Kreacher is talented, but he can only do so much. Well, I said I was going to keep this brief, but that idea went right out the window. Give everyone my best. I miss you, Hermione. Love, Harry." He stared at the letter for a moment before sighing and folding it. He slipped it into an envelope and sealed it before standing up and starting toward the owlery. He was passing the front door when he heard a soft whoosh and looked over to see a very redfaced Hermione. Her eyes were red and puffy from what looked like crying and she had her beaded handbag held tightly in her hand.

"That loathsome arse!" She shouted as soon as she adjusted to the new setting. Harry was surprised mostly and looked from the letter in his hand to her and then up the stairs to where Teddy was sleeping. "I cannot believe him!"

"Hermione, can you try to-" Harry said, stepping forward and reaching out his hand to her.

"He ruins everything!" She fumed, shaking her bag at Harry.

"Hermione, please. Teddy-"

"We were having such a nice night and then he had to go and spoil it!"

"Hermione, at this rate Ted-"

"And to think that I ever-"

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, finally interrupting Hermione's rant. She looked at him a little shocked at the outburst and that's when Teddy started crying. Harry sighed and hung his head before looking up with a small smile on his face.

"I'm sorry, Harry." Hermione said with a small chuckle. Harry sighed and shook his head before turning and walking toward the stairs. He put the letter in his pocket and walked to Teddy's room to find the child, crying and squirming around in his crib, his hair the color of a brushfire.

"Shh..." Harry cooed as he picked up the baby and held him. "Little man don't you cry/We'll stay here by your side/Don't you worry night or day/You'll be here nice and safe" Harry sang quietly. "Little baby boy just rest your eyes/Just go to sleep you'll be just fine/Lay down your little head right in your crib/Mum and dad will stay here through thick and thin/Little baby boy now don't you cry/Close your eyes and keep them dry/Calm little child the time for sleep is now/We'll see you in the morning when the moon is down" Harry finished and bounced Teddy for a moment while he patted his back. "Shhh...Go to sleep..." Finally, after a few more minutes, Teddy was sleeping quietly again. Harry gently placed the sleeping child back in the crib and turned around to see Hermione standing in the doorway, looking at him. There was something odd about the look she was giving him. He had gotten it before, but it had been a while. It always made him smile a little, the look that she was giving him. It warmed his heart.

"Oh...um..." She stammered a little before moving out of the way of the door. Harry smiled a little and looked back at Teddy whose hair was a light green as he slept. Harry walked through the door and carefully closed it behind him. Harry looked at Hermione and sighed. It wasn't the first time that she had appeared at his door, but this was the first time in a while. On top of that, she looked a little more angry than she usually does. The only person that could get her this worked up had to be Ron.

"Come on. I'll make you some tea." Harry said quietly, putting a comforting hand on her arm. He nodded and then lead her to the kitchen where he put a pot of water on the stove. He directed her to the fresh biscuits Kreacher had made earlier and prompted her to sit down at the table.

"You sang 'we'." Hermione said as she sat down at the table.

"Hmm?" Harry said as he sat down across from her. She took a biscuit off the plate and looked at it for a moment. "In the song, you sang to Teddy. You sang 'we' not 'I'. Why?" Harry sighed.

"I don't know. I guess, it might make him believe he has someone other than me to take care of him. To watch over him." Harry said with a sigh. He idly turned a biscuit over in his hands. "Remus and Tonks should be taking care of him. Not me." Harry would always feel bad. It was his fault they were dead. That Teddy didn't have parents. Actual parents. Hermione reached across the table and grabbed his hand. Harry closed his eyes and sighed, squeezing her hand back.

"You're doing admirably well for a 19 year old." She said, giving him a comforting smile. Harry chuckled and smiled at her just as the water was ready. He stood and walked to the stove, shutting off the burner and grabbing two mugs from the cabinet. He prepared the tea and slid a mug over to Hermione.

"So, what brings you here?" Harry asked with a sigh. He knew that they were going to have to talk about it eventually. She was fighting with Ron again. Whatever it was, Harry was usual the voice of reason here. As soon as Harry reminded her of why she had come here, she seemed to become a little more worn looking. She looked tired.

"I'd really rather talk about this tomorrow." She said quietly with sad eyes. Harry was happy for Hermione and Ron, but he hated seeing her like this. She would always be so upset when she was fighting with Ron and it so happened that they fought a lot. She always seemed so bothered by something. There were times when Hermione and Ron just weren't meant to be. There were even sometimes that he wished he had taken that step. Taken the leap of faith. When Ron had left them before the war ended. It was just the two of them in the woods. It was at times like these that he had wished he had accepted her offer of growing old together.

"Tomorrow? You want to crash here tonight?" Harry asked, a little surprised. "Are your parents out?" She sighed and nodded softly.

"I told them I was spending Christmas at the Burrow and so they went on a cruise with the neighbors." She said with a sigh. Harry could see her hesitation a moment before hse looked up at him, tears threatening her eyes. "To be honest, I really just don't want to be alone right now." Harry looked at her with sad eyes and nodded.

"I'll make up your old room." Harry said with a warm smile. "It's the one across from mine and don't worry, from there you won't be able to hear Teddy if he cries. I sleep right above him." She gave him a watery smile and nodded.

"Thank you." She said, taking a sip of tea. Harry patted her arm and stood, walking out of the closet and making his way to the closet where he retrieved the bedding for the room Hermione and Ginny used to share while 12 Grimmauld Place was the Order's headquarters. He grimaced a little when he was reminded of the girl he apparently wasn't good enough for. The girl that left him for Quidditch. He cleared his throat and shook his head a little, shaking the memories away. Harry finally turned around and bumped into Hermione who was walking toward him, knocking the sheets out of his hands. "Sorry." She said quietly as they knelt down to pick it back up. Harry remade the stack and handed it to her.

"Sleep well, Hermione." Harry said quietly, patting her on the arm. Hermione grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Thanks, Harry." She said with a small smile before disappearing up the stairs and to her room. Harry stood there for a moment, a smile spread across his face. He was glad that he had someone else in the house. He was especially glad that it was Hermione. He went downstairs and cleaned up the kitchen a little before putting up the protection charms on the outside of the house. The nightmares still happened and he still didn't have the sense of safety that one would gain from defeating the dark lord. The death eaters were scattered at best and Voldemort was finally defeated. Harry didn't feel safe. He probably wouldn't for a long time.

"Fianto Duri. Protego Maxima. Repello Inimigotum. Repello Muggletum." He whispered as a shield formed around the walls of the house. He sighed a little and put away his wand. Harry walked back to his room right above Teddy's and slipped into his pajamas. He climbed in bed and closed his eyes, hoping for Teddy's and Hermione's and his own sake that he didn't have any nightmares tonight. 


	2. Chapter 2 The Brightest Witch of Her Age

Hermione stood in her room for a moment. She remembered the room vividly. The summers she had spent with the order in this house. It had been touched up a little, but it was still the same room. A bed on one side, a bookshelf at the foot and a small lamp for when she had spent up many nights reading until Ginny had told her to stop and go to bed because the light was keeping her up. On the other side was Ginny's bed. A broom still leaning against the wall at the foot of the bed and a faded and ripped up picture of the 1995 Holyhead Harpies team picture, still cheering and holding up the 1994 League Cup, hoping for another good year. As Hermione took a step closer and saw that the bed, the broom, the wall; They all remained untouched, a layer of dust, covering it. It broke her heart a little to see that. Not because of her relationship with Ginny, but because of Harry's. Harry had strong feelings for her. Legitimate or not, Hermione was unsure, but either way she couldn't imagine how painful it must have been for Harry. For her to just break up wtih him and strand him like that. She moved back to the burrow and was upset for a while. Mrs. Weasley had provided a shoulder to cry on, but when it came to talking about boys again, Hermione had become the first choice. Hermione understood that some relationships just don't last. She especially understood that now, considering her current feelings toward Ron. Hermione wasn't upset about the break up. She had given up on trying to show Harry what girl was right for him and after she fell in with Ron, she knew she couldn't anymore. She had tried to tell him that there were some girls who only liked him for that scar of his, but it was time for him to learn on his own. Who was she to control his life? No matter what she wanted. Ginny had been quick to move on, bringing Dean Thomas over to the house more than once or twice to do some 'practicing.'Hermione was furious for a while. She went back to her parents, just telling Ron that she was going to be visiting her parents for a while. She knew that Harry wouldn't be feeling the same way. He would be upset as he still obviously is, considering the untouched side of the room.

Hermione slipped out of her shoes and sat down on her bed, setting the stack of sheets next to her. She scooted back so her back was against the wall and she crossed her legs in front of her, looking at the opposite wall. She looked back briefly at all the times she had talked and gossiped to Ginny about Harry and her other male suitors. She had subtly encouraged Ginny to go after Dean or Michael or whoever it was she was pining for. Because she knew that Ginny was only going after Harry out of hero worship. Right? Hermione played with a loose thread on her beaded handbag, idly thinking about everything as her highly functioning mind always did. It wasn't so long ago that Hermione and Harry and Ron were together up against forces of great evil, fighting against the odds to destroy the horcuxes. It wasn't so long ago that she was forced to make one of the biggest decisions of her life. Harry, the boy she had watched grow into a man. The boy with a lightning bolt scar and the weight of the world on his shoulders, so much weight she couldn't help, but want to ease the load. And Ron. Someone she cared deeply for. The one she couldn't help, but love as one of her closest male friends. The boy who could make her cry at the drop of a hat. She didn't want to have to decide between them. She loved them both. They were her closest friends. Why couldn't they just be together? Ron could always make her laugh and even though they bickered it was moments like those when she enjoyed being his friend. And Harry. Hermione couldn't remember a time when she was upset with Harry. The only time she could even think was when he tried to do things on his own. She was there to help him. She knew that if she hadn't gone along she would be completely useless, sick with fear that he might be hurt. That she might not see him again. She needed to see him again. "I'll go with you." was the last thing that she said to Harry as he went to face his death. The bravest man she ever knew. She spent all those years doing whatever she could to help him complete his mission. The mission he inherited. All of that effort to end with him going to die. "I'll go with you." Was her decision. She would face death beside her closest friend than be left behind. Hours earlier as she dropped everything to embrace Ron Weasley, the man that had given her and is currently giving her so much heartache. They were up against almost unbeatable odds. She needed to figure things out and as a lack of judgment decision, she threw herself into the arms of Ron Weasley for the first time, embracing him, only to not feel a thing. There was no spark. No colors. No angelic chorus. It was akin to kissing her brother. And that was the moment of no return. She felt so obligated to stay with Ron. Fred's death was hard on the whole family and after Ginny broke up with Harry she didn't want to break up with Ron and make matters worse. She remembered the sorrow she felt when he had left them that night. They needed to work together to help each other and survive through this so Voldemort could be defeated and they could live a normal life. Ron was always so stubborn. So much that it would break her heart. She felt so broken and lost sometimes and other times she was just so mad at him. She knew it was the horcrux that was making him lash out like that, but she still couldn't stand it. He was just so stubborn. She flashed to that night. Harry and she were on the brink of hopelessness, thinking that there was nothing they could do. She looked up at him hesitantly as he offered her his hand. They danced. They danced away their sadness, their pain. They were able to relax and distract themselves long enough to halt their depression. As the song ended, they looked at each other. A sense of longing passing between them. She sighed and walked away from him.

There were times, much like this that she hadn't walked away from him that night. She never felt like she had to work to be comfortable with him. When Ron was making her so infuriated she couldn't think straight Harry would be there to calm her down. A hand to squeeze. A body to hug. A shoulder to cry on. Harry was the one who should could be with. They were compatible. It was now that she knew that it might have been too late. Harry was still getting over Ginny and Hermione was stuck with Ron. Molly was making sure of that, giving them plenty of time alone. She rubbed her face and let her hair down as she thought back to why she was here.

The day had been so nice. She made dinner with Ron's help and the rest of the Weasley family was out, visiting Charlie in Romania. They had a lovely meal. They shared a dessert and were sitting on the couch talking as Hermione skimmed through a copy of Dragon's Blood and How to Use It. It was one of the things that was keeping her together. That Ron knew her well enough to let her read when she wanted to.

"So, now that you're graduated from Hogwarts what are you going to do? The Aurors' would be gaining a very capable wizard." Ron said with his goofy smile. Hermione put her book down in her lap and looked over at him briefly.

"I was thinking, I'd become a teacher at Hogwarts. Professor McGonagall said I showed an incredible ability. She said it would be wasteful to use it against roving bands of dark wizards." Hermione had said proudly. She wanted to become a teacher. She wanted to be able to spend her time in Hogwarts. Where she loved to be and where she met Harry and Ron and where her future began. Where she discovered the world of magic and learned to bend it to control it to do the impossible. Where she fought beside her closest friends and the people that would be in her life until the end. She looked over at Ron who was shaking his head.

"It's not a waste. You'd be saving lives. Why would you want to be some stuffy old teacher?" Ron said with a scoff. "We lost a lot of people in the war. You have to become an auror." Hermione pulled away from him and the couch and faced.

"So, I'm stuffy, now?" Hermione said with a raised eyebrow. Ron rolled his eyes.

"If you become a teacher, you will be. Be an auror. Being a teacher bites. Do you really think McGonagall enjoys teaching runny nosed kids?" Hermione was seeing this as just a fun little fight, but she felt a little offended.

"I'll remind you that you used to be one of those runny nosed kids!" She said, hitting him in the arm with her book. "I want to become a teacher, Ronald. No matter how stuffy and boring it makes me."

"Hermione, I don't like teachers. Teachers are boring stuffy old gits. I want to date an auror. If you don't want to be an auror then you should just stay home." Ron said with another scoff. A scoff that just made Hermione furious. She stood up from the couch and grabbed her beaded bag off the table.

"Fine, then, Ronald!" She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on before slipping her book into her bag and starting toward the door. "Maybe, I'll just go home and stay there!" She slipped out the door and ignored Ron's calls to come back. She pulled out her wand and apparated straight into 12 Grimmauld Place. It was the first place she thought of. She didn't want to admit it, but it was. There was a part of her that longed to be with Harry in 12 Grimmauld Place. To be with him like she was with Ron except things would be different. They wouldn't be fighting. She wouldn't be upset. Every time Hermione apparated to Harry's because she was fighting with Ron she had to fight away the feelings she inevitably had for the boy who lived. It was that part that she had to keep buried down. She was with Ron and he was with Ginny. And Harry was still getting over Ginny as far as Hermione knew. That didn't stop Hermione from keeping the feeling of Harry holding her and dancing with her that night at camp fresh in her mind. She wanted it now more than ever.

Hermione brushed it away with the sleeve of her jacket and stood up from the bed, producing her wand from her pocket. "Accio pajamas." She said quietly toward her bag. There was a small whoosh as a pair of soft blue pajamas tied into a bundle popped out of her beaded bag. She caught them and set them on the bed before making sure the door was closed and taking off her jacket. She yawned and started to change into her pajamas. As she was changing she found herself humming a song. It was one of her favorite songs. She was feeling relaxed. She folded her clothes and tied them into a bundle before placing them into her bag and lying down on the bed, the stack of sheets at her feet. She didn't realize how tired she was until she was relaxed and lying down. She had gotten so worked up with Ron and so angry she had to leave. Now that she was away from that and somewhere else she could calm down. She could finally just fall asleep. She found herself doing exactly that. "Hey, little train...wait for me..." She mumbled before drifting to sleep.

The next morning came far too quickly for Hermione's taste. She had been dreaming something enjoyable. What it was? She couldn't remember, but she could tell it was something she was happy about considering the smile on her face. She woke up slowly though she was forced to adjust to her new environment quickly. She sat up quickly as she heard the sound of screaming. It was coming from two places, meaning she needed to hurry. She started to stand, but found a blanket on top of her. She froze for a moment at the prospect of Harry coming into the room last night and placing the blanket over her, kissing her forehead good night and slipping out, not looking for any credit or any reward. Just as an innocent gesture. Her heart raced for a moment before she shook herself back to the screaming. She stepped into a pair of loafers and hurried downstairs to Teddy's room to find the baby screaming and crying, his hair a bright vibrant purple. She scooped him up and bounced him a little, trying to remember the lullaby Harry had sung the previous night. "Sleep small...baby...oh drat." She sighed and cradled the child before hurrying back up the stairs into Harry's room. She held Teddy with one hand, bouncing him slightly as she brushed Harry's face. He was in a cold sweat and he was thrashing so much, she thought he might hurt himself.

"Harry, you need to calm down. You're okay. You're safe." She said calmly, bouncing the baby again. "Harry, I'm here. You're okay. You're safe. Everything's alright." 


	3. Chapter 3 The Boy Who Lived

"Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived." Harry was back in the Forbidden Forest. It was one of his recurring nightmares, being back to where he stood against death and The Dark Lord. His greatest moment of bravery and strength, curtailed to a matter of seconds. He was struck with Voldemort's spell and then died, but woke up in Kings Cross Station. Not in his nightmares. He closed his eyes tight, hoping that he would wake up as soon as the green bolts struck his body. He wouldn't wake up in Kings Cross to face Dumbledore. He wouldn't go to the place his dreams usually took him. Death. No waking up. No Kings Cross Station. No battle. No defeating Voldemort. Nothing. He wouldn't go on and plan to become an auror. He wouldn't be there to take care of Teddy. Life stopped. Harry awoke in a black abyss. He couldn't see anything. There was floor under him, but he couldn't see it. It was complete and utter darkness. Suddenly his father appeared in front of him. Then next to him, his mother. Sirius. Remus. Tonks. Cedric. Dumbledore. Wormtail. Snape. Colin Creevey. Fred. Mad-eye. Dobby. They all died because of him. They all died protecting him. Teddy would be living with his parents. George would be with his twin. Harry would forever feel guilt for their deaths which arrived far too quickly. Their forms stepped forward and grew until they were glaring down at him, completely trapping him in a wall of people.

"We died! We died for you, Harry!" They chanted together. "You killed us, Harry Potter! It's your fault we're dead!" Harry cowered away and covered his ears.

"No! I'm sorry! I didn't want any of this! I'm sorry!" Harry cried out, pleaded, curled up in a ball in the middle of the group. The mob raised their wands and pointed them at Harry.

"Crucio!" Sirius shouted, his voice dripping with malice. Harry cried out in pain as the spell hit his spine and shot pain through his entire body. "Crucio!" Someone else in the crowd shouted a new burst of pain shooting through Harry's body. "Crucio! Crucio!" Several voices shouting at once, cursing Harry to such intense pain his screams drowned out the very spells causing it. "You deserve worse pain! Feel the pain we felt!" They shouted at Harry as he writhed in pain. "You deserve so much worse! Deserve to die! Die like we did!" Their curses became louder and louder and louder until Harry could sense nothing more.

Harry woke in a cold sweat, his breathing labored and shallow. Several sobs rocked through his body, blasting his aching body with wave after wave of pain. Harry covered his face with his hands as he quietly wept, tears falling rapidly, his voice hoarse and dry from use. It all seemed so real every single time. He's had the exact dream several times, but every time he cried out in agony as if he were being crucio'd outside of his mind. It was just a good thing he woke up. There were times when it took someone shaking him out of it to bring him back to reality. Ginny was never able. Ron was never able. No one that had tried was able to bring him out of it and calm him down. After a few minutes, Harry had finally regained his composure enough to push the blankets away and swing his legs off the side of the bed. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his matted hair and rubbed his face, brushing away old and fresh tears. The house was dark and thankfully quiet. Teddy hadn't woken up in all of Harry's thrashing. Harry reached to his nightstand and grasped his wand and his glasses.

"Lumos maxima." He muttered, his voice dry and cracked. He slipped on his glasses and squinted as his he tossed the ball of light into the middle of the room, bathing his space in light. Harry turned to his nightstand and took a deep breath. He was tame tonight. The lamp and glass and everything remained unbroken. He grabbed the glass and pointed his wand inside. "Aguamenti." The glass filled with water and Harry took a big sip, feeling relief almost immediately from the cool water. He swallowed with a wince and put the glass back on his nightstand before standing up from his bed. He shuffled over to the bathroom and flipped the switch, cringing as light pierced his eyes. Harry bent over the sink before taking off his glasses and splashing water into his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath as he tried to calm down. He looked up into the mirror and sighed. The eyes. His mother's piercing green eyes that wracked his mind in guilt every time he looked into them. He slipped on his glasses and saw his father staring back at him. The wrinkles that only the weight of the world could give someone already starting to appear in his skin. Harry stared back into his mother's eyes through his father's glasses before flipping off the lights and leaving the bathroom. He took his robe off of the hook and wrapped it around himself before lighting up his wand and stepping out of his room. The hall was dark except for a sliver of light peeking out from under Hermione's door. Harry sighed, hoping that he hadn't woken her up. He took a deep breath and hoped that when he opened the door, he would find her sleeping soundly, a book, of which he couldn't understand the title, open in her lap. Slowly he creaked open the door to reveal Hermione curled up on the mattress, shivering slighgtly in the cold Winter air. Harry smiled gently as he walked over, taking a blanket from the stack at her feet and spreading it over her sleeping form. She stopped shivering almost immediately and quickly unfuled, turning on her back, her hair parting and revealing her forehead. Harry sighed and looked at her sleeping, a smile spread across her lips, parting slightly with each exhale and nose scrunching with each inhale. The pure serenity of her visage ached to be kissed and Harry longed to kiss it. He couldn't though. She was with Ron, his best friend. He couldn't. As much as he regretted letting her walk away that night. As much as he longed to be with her in Godric's Hollow on Christmas. As much as he wished to be in the arms that had embraced him time and time again. He couldn't. She probably didn't want him to. As much as she fought with Ron, she was with him. They were together.

"Good night, Hermione." Harry said quietly before slipping out of the room, turning off the lights on the way out. He walked down the stairs and to Teddy's room, peeking inside and seeing the baby, sleeping soundly, his hair, light green. Harry smiled and gently closed the door again, holding his breath and hoping that the baby didn't wake up. Silence. Harry exhaled and quietly slipped up the stairs to his room where he removed his robe and slid back into bed. He stared up at the ceiling and breathed a heavy sigh. Harry didn't want to sleep. With sleep came nightmares. Harry took a deep breath, holding back tears that were threatening to grow. Would he ever be able to live a normal life? Would the nightmares ever go away? Harry let his mind wander before his eyes shut and he fell asleep.

Harry was standing at the bottom of a set of stairs in front of him a locked cage door. He turned around. He knew this place. He had been here before. He was trapped here with Ron and others last time. Dobby had saved them. Dobby. Suddenly, there was a sharp scream. It stabbed Harry in the heart and twisted the knife, causing Harry to grimace as he felt the pain that Hermione's scream had given him when she was being tortured in Malfoy Manor by Bellatrix Lestrange. That's where he was. Malfoy Manor. Another scream this one louder. Harry ran at the door and grabbed the bars. He shook it as he tried to get through, rattling the door on its hinges. He cried out in agony as another scream pierced his mind, tearing it open. Harry fell backward and felt tears prick his eyes. That's when he felt something in his pocket. Last time, he didn't have his wand. This time he did. Harry stood up quickly and unlocked the door before swinging it open. He could save her this time. He could stop her suffering. Harry sprinted up the stairs, hurrying to get to her. The light at the top grew large and larger until he emerged and felt strong arms wrap around his and hold him there at the top.

"Come to see your friend die, Potter?" Bellatrix said as she pointed her wand menacingly at Hermione who was lying on the ground. Harry pulled against his captors, but he couldn't move. Harry was helpless. "Crucio!" Another scream shocked Harry and he fell to his knees.

"Take me! Let her go!" Harry shouted. He pleaded. "Let her live. Please..."

"We'll get to you, Potter. Soon enough." Bellatrix said with an evil cackle. She looked from Harry to the motionless Hermione at her feet. She grinned and let out an devious giggle before raising her wand. "Avada Kedavra!" She screamed, green bolts shot from her wand and hit Hermione who stiffened for a moment before going completely limp. Harry felt everything stop. He was shaking. He wanted to cry out. He wanted yell and fight and scream, but he just couldn't move. It felt like a part of him was missing. The feeling of a physical part of his body had vanished. He felt the scene disappear and all that was left was Harry and Hermione. He looked at her and crawled over to her, picking her lifeless form up and cradling her in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Harry whispered, tears pouring over his eyelashes and down onto his cheeks. He sobbed clenching his eyes closed, hoping that when they opened she would be alive. Hoping that he could hold her and she would hold him back and embrace him like she did countless times into a bone-crushing hug. "Please, Hermione. Wake up. Please. I need you." He murmured hopelessly, knowing that it wouldn't work. He opened his eyes and looked upon her lifeless face gone pale and dead. The face that belonged to so many others who had gotten close to him. "I'm so sorry..." Harry looked up and saw her standing in front of him. He looked down and saw her body dissolve in his arms. He paused for a moment before standing and running toward her, but next to her appeared his parents. Sirius. Remus. All of the others. Surrounding him again. "No! Please! No!" He pleaded right before the first curse hit him. He crumpled to the ground and screamed as pain coursed through his body. "Hermione! Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He shouted over the curses being thrown at him. Harry heard a faint murmur float over the curses. It was soft, but it was there. The many crucios of the people surrounding him sttarted to be drowned out as this whisper started to grow louder.

"Harry, you need to calm down. You're okay. You're safe." It was Hermione's voice. It wasn't the distorted and angry voice that was firing curses at him. It was calm. The voice that had helped him and encouraged him when he was up against unbeatable odds. The voice that had laughed with him and cried with him. "Harry, I'm here. You're okay. You're safe. Everything's okay." The curses stopped and Harry laid there motionless, curled into a ball as he listened to Hermione. "Harry, you're okay. Wake up. It's okay."

Harry woke up with a start to see the face of Hermione looking down at him. "Oh, Hermione." He breathed before sitting up and wrapping his arms around her. He was so glad that she was okay. He sould have known it was a dream, but it all felt so real. It always felt so real. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou." He whispered as he felt Hermione's arm wrap around him.

"You're okay, Harry. It's okay." Hermione said quietly, rubbin his back. Harry's breathing was shallow as a few tears and beads of sweat fell onto Hermione's shoulder. "Harry, it's okay." She pulled away after a moment and looked into his eyes. Harry looked back and felt his breathing start to even out.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." Harry said quietly, burying his face in his hands.

"Harry, what happened? What's wrong?" Hermione asked, moving Harry's hands away from his face. Harry looked up at her and the vision of her lifeless face flashed in his mind. He realized that she could do it. She brought him out of it. She could do what no one else could. Not Ron who had grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to shake him out of it. Not Ginny who had yelled and screamed to break him out of it. Hermione's voice broke through the curses and entered his mind when no one else's would. "The nightmares aren't real, Harry. They can't hurt you. Voldemort is dead. All of the death eaters are either dead or in Azkaban. Harry, everything's okay." Harry nodded softly and sighed.

"I know, but it just seems so real. I dreamt that-" He stopped himself and looked her in the eye. "I dreamt that you never got out of Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix killed you." She looked at him for a moment before taking his hand. Harry's hand adjusted to it, fitting in perfectly for only a moment before pulling away. "Hermione, you blamed me. My parents. Sirius. Remus. Mad-eye. Fred. Colin. They all blame me. It's my fault, Hermione. It's my fault they're dead. I was too much of a coward to-" Harry stopped when he felt Hermione's arms wrap around his neck and hug him tightly. The same hug she always gave him. Harry paused for a moment before hugging her back, the smell of fresh linens and golden syrup entering his nostrils.

"Harry, they chose to die for you. They knew that they had to die for you, so that you could make the right decision at the right time. Harry, you're the bravest man I ever met." She said quietly. Harry closed his eyes and felt a single tear fall from his cheek. Why couldn't she have been there from the start? Why did he have to have Ginny try to convince him? And Ron who never knew the right words to say.

"Thank you, Hermione." Harry whispered, still locked in the hug. They sat like that for another minute before a soft cooing was heard from beside them. Harry blushed a moment and looked over at Teddy whose soft pink hair was threatening to change into a nasty and angry orange. He felt Hermione's eyes on him for a moment before turning to Teddy. Harry took a deep breath before smiling and picking up Teddy. "Good morning, little man." He said as he held Teddy's face up to his. He had Remus' eyes. The silver eyes that had looked through Harry during his 3rd year at Hogwarts. Harry sighed and caught a foul smell. "Whoa." He said quietly as he held Teddy at arm's length. "He needs a change. I'll take care of it." Harry said with a nod at Hermione. She looked at him for a moment before taking Teddy.

"I'll take care of it. You get dressed and we'll meet you downstairs." She said with a smile. "Isn't that right, little man?" Hermione cooed, looking Teddy in the eye. Teddy giggled a little and Hermione smiled at Harry before slipping out of the room.

Harry stared at the door as Hermione closed it behind her. His mind was racing. Hermione was there for him. Hermione believed in him when he didn't believe in himself. How had he not seen it before? Maybe he had, he just tried to shut it out. Harry needed her. He would have been long gone without Hermione. He would have died his first year at Hogwarts. There is no way he would have survived this long without her and know that Voldemort was dead, he didn't stop needing her. It turns out he needs her even more. He didn't notice it until then, but his heart was beating a little faster. This wasn't the right thing. He couldn't. She was with Ron. Harry needed to find someone else. Someone not Hermione. 


	4. Chapter 4 The Brightest Witch of Her Age

Hermione leaned up against the door and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and sighed as she thought about the way Harry's arms felt holding her. Wrapping around her and encasing her in the smell of his hair and a faint hint of spearmint toothpaste. She knew that she needed to change Teddy and she knew she should be doing other things, but she couldn't help, but let her bright and acuminous mind wander a little. It wandered back to the Forest of Dean where she offered to grow old with him. It wandered to the tent where they danced their sorrow away. It wandered to the past 10 years where she threw her arms around him, holding onto him in the hope that he wouldn't go away and leave her. It wandered to when she was petrified by the basilisk and the only feeling she felt was Harry's hand holding hers. It wandered to her first year when she welcomed her as a friend and saved her from the troll. It wandered to the time they first met and all of the other countless times she muttered 'Oculus reparo' fixing Harry's broken glasses because he never did. It wandered to when she held onto Harry tightly as they flew over Hogwarts on the back of Buckbeak. It wandered to their first trip to Hogsmeade when he didn't have his permission slip signed and she wished that she could be walking around with Harry instead of Ron. It wandered to when she ached for him to notice her and not all the girls fawning over him. It wandered to a few minutes ago when she felt his arms tighten around her in a way she hadn't felt before. There was a lot of emotion in that embrace and Hermione didn't want it to end when it did. She felt so comfortable and safe and happy in Harry's arms. She took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh as she recognized it would never happen again.

"Let's get you changed." Hermione said quietly as she bounced Teddy gently in her arms. Teddy cooed a little as his hair changed to a strange tint of yellow. She smiled as Teddy grabbed some of her hair and played with it as she walked down the stairs giggling a little with Teddy. "You're quite the cutie, aren't you, Ted?" she said with a smile, taking a left into the kitchen and placing him down on the counter. She tickled his neck a little as she pulled the small button, opening his pajamas and the diaper. Her nose scrunched as she removed the diaper and threw it into the rubbish bin under the sink. She found it odd how simple it felt. It seemed normal. Nothing was complicated. There weren't all these tense moments and unspoken issues. It was just her waking up and talking to Harry. Then she would take care of Teddy. Or he would take care of Teddy. Maybe they would would spend some time just sitting with each other before breakfast. Then they would have tea and just be happy to be around each other. She wouldn't have to read to distract herself. They could each read or he could ride around on his broom and then...What was she doing? She wasn't with Harry.

"He looks just like his mom, doesn't he?" Hermione turned around suddenly and saw Ron standing in the kitchen, offering a small smile. Hermione looked at him and sighed a little before finishing up with Teddy. "I tried your parents' house, but...no one was home. So, I guessed." He took a step forward and cleared his throat.

"What do you want, Ron?" She asked quietly, glancing toward the door a moment.

"Come on, Mione..." Ron said in a pleading voice. "Come back to the burrow so we can talk about this." Hermione looked at him and pursed her lips. She looked at him and she couldn't help, but think about all the times she had hurt him. All the heartache he had caused her. She took a deep breath. She needed to do it. She couldn't do this anymore. She had hurt him for the last time.

"Ron, I...I can't. I won't." She said quietly, not looking him in the eye. "Ron, I can't do this with you anymore. I'm sorry."

"Did you find the..." Hermione looked over as Harry stepped into the kitchen, his eyes moving from Teddy to Hermione then to Ron and then back to Hermione. There was an expression on his face, but Hermione didn't know what it was, but she remembered seeing it what felt like a long time ago. Back in the tent. "I'll just-"

"I should have known." Ron said, his pleading expression turning into a bitter one. "It's always been you and him, hasn't it? I've always just been the dumb sidekick. Second best!"

"Ron! No. That's not true!" Hermione said, stepping forward. He backed away and Harry stepped forward.

"Ron, you know that we couldn't have defeated Voldemort without you." Harry said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Just relax." Ron pulled away and looked between the two of them.

"Don't try and coddle me. I can see when I'm not wanted." Ron said, pulling out his wand. Hermione was heartbroken. She was still his friend.

"Ron, please. I'm sorry. Let's talk about this. Please." Hermione said pleadingly. She finally looked at Harry and gave him a look. She couldn't say what she wanted to, but she couldn't. "He's like my brother." She lied, flashing Harry an apologetic look. The look that spread across his face broke her heart.

"Goodbye, Hermione. Don't follow me." He said before apparating away.

"No! Ron!" Hermione said, stepping forward. There was a disgusting crunch and Hermione looked down to see a chunk of flesh where Ron was standing. "Oh, God, Harry! He splinched himself!" Hermione said frantically. She was horrified. She wanted to follow him, but she didn't know where he had gone.

"Is that true?" Harry asked, frozen in place where he stood, looking coolly into Hermione's eyes. She sighed.

"Harry, what are you talking about? Can't you see he splinched himself?" She said frantically. He didn't move. His gaze was burning a hole inside her mind. She knew what he was talking about, but she didn't want to talk about it. Not right now. "Harry...Please." She said, looking at him with sad eyes. "Harry, we need to help Ron. We can talk about it later, but right now we have to help Ron. Please." Harry swallowed and nodded.

"I'll get Teddy dressed. You grab your things and we'll head to the burrow. He probably went back there." Harry said quietly, shaking his head a little. Hermione nodded softly.

"I'm sorry, Harry." She said quietly before hurrying out of the room. She wasn't positive what it was she was apologizing for. For bringing this into his house? For fighting with Ron around Teddy? For lying? That one seemed more plausible. She walked upstairs and to her room where she looked at her bed and resisted the urge to cry. Ron hated her and now Harry was upset with her. Why couldn't the three of them be normal friends again? She'd prefer that over Ron being mad at her. No matter how much she wanted to be with Harry she didn't want to hurt Ron in the process. She didn't want to hurt anyone really. She changed into fresh clothes and grabbed her bag before heading back downstairs to find Harry waiting by the door with baby Teddy in his arms.

"Ready?" He asked, offering a smile. Hermione looked at him and sighed. Without thinking, she stepped toward him and hugged him tightly. She needed to hug him. She was so glad that he was there. He wasn't mad. He understood. He always understood. Hermione needed him to understand. Always.

"It's not true." She whispered, quietly enough that she wasn't sure if he had heard him. She finally broke away after a moment and looked at him, a sad look on her face. She sighed a little and then raised her took a deep breath before apparating to the burrow. The burrow was hectic for some reason, a hum of activity rolling throughout. Hermione looked about and saw George and Angelina sitting at the table, eating and they looked up when they realized who else was there.

"Hello, kiddies." George said with a small laugh.

"George, would you-" Hermione turned and saw Molly burst into the room. She looked at them and a smile spread across her face. "Harry, Hermione!" She said joyfully as she ran up and hugged them both. "I wish you kids could have shown up earlier. Ron's splinched himself." She said with a small sigh. "Arthur's taking him to St. Mungo's as we speak. Have you had breakfast?" She asked with a smile. Before harry or Hermione could speak she had already taken Teddy from Harry and was pulling a high chair out for him to sit in. "Sit down, kids. I'll make you something." Hermione looked over at Harry who chuckled a little and then sat down at the end of the table next to Teddy in his high chair.

"How you doing, Harry?" George asked, looking down the table as he shoveled a spoonful of food into his mouth. Hermione looked at Harry who shrugged.

"I've been doing okay, I suppose. You doing alright, George?" Harry asked, looking over at Teddy a second. George looked over at Angelina and smiled soflty. Hermione knew that George would never feel wonderful again, but at best he could feel alright.

"I'm doing okay." He nodded and looked up as Molly walked in with two plates and a small bowl for Teddy. Hermione watched as George finished his food and then stood up, taking Angelina's plate as well. He gave them both a look as he took Angelina's hand and left the room.

"Ron seemed very bothered by something when he came in. We wish we knew what it was." She said with a sigh. Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew it was her fault. She had to say something.

"About that, Mrs. Weasley. We kind of-"

"It's my fault." Harry interrupted, looking at Molly with a sad look on his face. 


	5. Chapter 5 The Boy Who Lived

Harry froze under the heavy gaze of Molly Weasley, his mother when he didn't have one. She had a pleasant smile on her face, but there was something in her eyes that wanted answers. It was a look that Ron and Harry got often when they did something they probably shouldn't have. "Well, you see...uh..." Harry stammered, trying to think of a reasonable lie. He wasn't sure why he said it was him. He glanced at Hermione and immediately realized why. Molly never got upset when Harry did something wrong. She'd yell at anyone else, but never Harry. He studied at his feet for a moment before a cry erupted from his right. Everyone looked over and saw Teddy crying, his hair shifting from red to orange to yellow and back to red. "I should probab-" Harry started to stand, but looked at Molly and stopped. Her gaze was still heavy like she couldn't hear the baby at all and the tension that resulted was palpable to such a degree that Teddy could feel it, resulting in him quieting himself, his hair becoming a soft grey. "Well, honestly, Mrs. Weasley, I don't remember what we were fighting about. Something dumb I'm sure." Molly smiled at Harry and put a hand on his cheek.

"Boys will be boys, I suppose." She said with a smile before kissing his head. She stood and picked up Teddy. "That's a good little boy." She said before disappearing into a back room. Harry stared at the table and took a deep breath. He didn't want to look at Hermione. He loved her more than anything and to hear her say that she didn't love him back; It hurt him. He closed his eyes a moment and felt a hand on his shoulder. His eyes opened and he finally looked over into her eyes. There was a mix of emotions in her eyes to which Harry didn't know how to respond. There was a tension in the gaze that they held for several moments, a longing for Harry and whatever he could see going through Hermione's mind at the moment. Harry knew he shouldn't have, but he leaned closer, bring his face closer to hers, knowing in that moment he would be kissing Hermione if he went close enough and he wanted nothing more than to do that in that moment.

"What an embarrassing way to hurt yourself." Molly said from the other room, her voice quickly becoming closer. Harry and Hermione shot away and sat straight as Molly walked in, Teddy in one arm and wand in the other, levitating two plates and a bottle and placing them on the table. "Splinching is no fun, dears. Is it, Teddy? No, it's not." She said to the baby in a funny voice that she always made around the babies whether it was Teddy or Victoire or the two of them together. Especially the two of them together. "I wonder where Ginny's run off to." She said idly, ignoring the fact that Harry was there. She always did that. Even when Ginny was publicly with another guy she would always bring it up. Harry was bothered or embarrassed previously, but now he didn't care.

"How has Ginny been?" Harry asked, glancing at Hermione. He didn't want her to think that he was still interested in her, but he was curious how she was doing. Molly suddenly took interest in Harry, more than likely hoping that her wishes of Harry officially being related to her weren't all gone.

"She's been upset. Very heartbroken about losing you." Molly said very sternly. Harry looked over at Hermione briefly and saw the same look she gave Ron often. The look that meant that he was being silly and a nuisance. Harry saw it a lot in his time of being close to the two of them. "Have you gotten over her? Is it still difficult?" Molly reached over and put a hand on his shoulder in an unnecessary touch of comfort.

"I'm fine." Harry said with a shrug, receiving a hard nudge in the side from Hermione's elbow. "I mean to say, I'm doing fine because I've been able to distract myself...Or something." He lied, looking down at the table a moment before looking up at Molly's face and into her 'It'll all be okay, dearie' eyes. She nodded and tried to hide a smile with a comforting look, but it was all too obvious what she wanted.

"Mom, I'm home! I'll be in my room!" There was the sound of a door slamming and the hurried sound of footsteps as the high voice of Ginny Weasley came from near the front door and quickly spouted off her existence without even showing her face. Molly quickly stood and bustled down the hall.

"Gin? Gin! We have company!" Molly shouted up the stairs. "Gin!" There was an audible sigh and a moment later Molly's face appeared in the doorway. "Eat, dearies! If you'll just excuse me, Harry, Hermione." She said with a smile before hurrying down the hallway again. Harry looked at Hermione a moment and then Teddy who sat cluelessly in his high chair, drinking from his bottle.

"She's lying, Harry." Hermione said with a small chuckle. "Ginny has been over you for a while." She added with a roll of her eyes before realizing how harsh she sounded. "Sorry." Harry blinked at Hermione for a moment before laughing. He wasn't sure why, but seeing Hermione slightly frazzled with her own words made him laugh. There was a thump and some chatter from upstairs when there was a woosh at the end of the table. Harry turned to see George standing there.

"What's the commotion? Did mum finally find that git Malfoy with Ginny?" He said, looking between the two of them. Harry froze.

"Wait...Draco? Draco and Ginny are-"

"You brought him into our home, Ginevra Molly Weasley?" Molly's voice banged through the whole house. Harry sat there nervously, looking at Hermione for a second before looking over at George.

"It would probably be good if you guys left. Unless, you want front row seats for the festivities." George said, raising an eyebrow at them. Harry quickly stood and walked over to Teddy whose hair was threatening a shade of bright fiery orange. Harry picked him up and held him and looked at Hermione before apparating back to 12 Grimmauld Place. He looked around and took a deep breath before sitting and rubbing Teddy's back, trying to calm him down.

"It's okay, buddy." He said quietly as he watched his hair change to a soft green. He rocked him for a few moments more and then found that he was asleep. "I'm going to go put him down and then I'll be back." Harry said before climbing the stairs and going into Teddy's room, closing the door behind him. He leaned up against the door and took a deep breath, trying to sort through everything that he had seen and heard and felt today and it was still only the early afternoon. He walked to Teddy's crib and carefully placed him inside, making sure to be absolutely silent. He waited a moment for Teddy to be completely asleep before turning around and quickly moving to the door, slowly opening it and taking a step, being followed by a gigantic growl from his stomach. He panicked a moment stepped out, closing the door behind him, leaning against it and hoping that Teddy didn't wake up. He really didn't want Teddy to wake up. He didn't breath and braced himself for an outburst of crying, but nothing came. Thankfully. He walked back down the stairs and walked around a moment before hearing a clatter in the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow and walked in, seeing Kreacher cooking quietly and Hermione, looking very nervous and sitting at the table, her hands on top, fingers crossed.

"Lunch is almost ready, master Harry." Kreacher croaked before turning back to the stove where something delicious smelling was being served. Harry sat down across from Hermione and looked at her. It was an uncomfortable silence that spread throughout the room. The combination of Kreacher's presence and everything that they needed to talk about and talk through was hanging in the air like a 'Quiet in the library' sign, quieting anything they might have to talk about. "Lunch is served, Master. Will the master need anything of Kreacher?"

"No, Kreacher. Thank you." Harry said quietly as he looked down at the meal set before them. It actually looked pretty good. Harry looked up at Hermione who was looking back at him as if they were trying to decide what to do: Eat or talk? Harry's stomach let out another growl and answered the question. He picked up a roll and took a bite out of it, chewing it and savoring the buttery taste.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked quietly. Harry sighed a little. He was worried that as soon as he started eating she would talk and of course that worry rang true. He tried to speak, but the bite was too big and it ended up being a game of how fast can he chew? "Sorry, Harry." Hermione said with a small giggle. Harry rolled his eyes and laughed a little before finally swallowing.

"It's okay. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" He said, about to take another bite, but instead decided on a sip of tea.

"Just with the...Ginny and Draco" She said, her voice trailing off. "And Ron." She added quietly. Harry sighed again, wondering what to say.

"I don't care about Ginny. It's her choice if she wants to get tied up with the Malfoys." Harry said, trying to ignore the addition of Ron into the question. She looked at him with pleading eyes. He knew she didn't want to press it, but they needed to talk about it. "You and Ron are my best friends. I uh...I don't want to get between you two." He said quietly, not looking her in the eyes.

"No, Harry. I broke up with him." Hermione said quickly. "I just didn't...I don't...I don't feel the same way I feel-Felt" She said, her cheeks turning a bright pink and immediately filling her mouth with stew. Harry looked at her for a moment.

"Well, then it'll just take time for him to get over it. You always end up working things out." Harry said, feeling a little regret. Last time he had let things run its course, he lost his chance with her. She didn't want him now. He had to let her go. "I'm sure it'll be fine in a few days." He looked up at Hermione and took a deep breath. "Everything will go back to normal."

"What if I don't want it to, Harry?" Hermione said quietly. So, quietly that Harry didn't hear it. Or at least he didn't think he did.

"What do you mean?"

"What if I don't want things to go back to normal? Things haven't been normal for a long time and ever since I left the burrow yesterday have I started to feel normal again." She said quickly. Harry froze. Where was she going with this?

"Hermione, it's just...I don't know all the answers. Generally, I go to you for answers. I've always gone to you for answers. I wish I knew what to say, but I just don't. I'm sorry." Harry took a breath and stared down at his food. "Ron is hurt and you prob-" He started to look up, but his speaking was halted by Hermione's lips on his. 


	6. Chapter 6 The Brightest Witch of Her Age

Hermione pulled away, leaning back into her chair, looking accross the table at her closest friend who sat, eyes closed, lips slightly parted, tense from surprise. Hermione put her hands on her cheeks, trying to cool them off and change the color of them back to normal from their current raspberry tint. She was surprised with herself that she would step out on a limb like that, but it had to be done. She had to found out if there was a spark. "There is...There is a big one." She breathed, her heart slowing back to normal.

"Uhh...Hermione, I know that neither of us are very experienced, but I don't think that's how one reacts to a kiss." Harry said, taking deep breaths. Hermione just looked at him, her mind spinning and her heart beating a little bit faster when she looked at him. She was shaking a little, but she had never felt better. She leaned over the table again and kissed him, letting her lips linger a little bit longer this time.

"Why did I wait this long?" She asked herself as she ran her fingers through his hair and smiled widely at him. Harry smiled back and put his hand on her cheek, kissing her again.

"Better late than never." He said, taking a small breath before sitting back in his chair and looking at her. The mood in the room had completely changed. Hermione leaned back and ate a bite of stew, wondering why she was so hungry all of a sudden. It was like a huge weight lifted off her shoulders, but it was quickly replaced with a twinge of guilt.

"Oh, my gosh, Harry..." She said, running her fingers through her hair. "Ron." She said, looking up at Harry. His face immediately fell and Hermione panickedly shook her head. "No, no, no. Harry, I mean to say that he's in the hospital." She said, trying to make him feel better. "He's going to be so mad when he sees us together."

"Hermione, he's going to have to come to terms with that." Harry said quietly. She didn't want anyone to be mad. Especially Ron or Harry. Ron's face was burned into her mind. That moment when he felt betrayed for the second time. She felt so bad, but it needed to happen. She didn't want to go the rest of her life with Ron without being able to return the feelings he had for her. She put her hands on her cheeks again, her body aching slightly with a mix of emotions. She put her head down and closed her eyes. "Are you okay, Hermione?" Harry said, moving to a chair next to her and putting his hand on her back.

"Just...Give me a second, Harry." She said quietly, trying to sort through everything. She broke up with Ron because she didn't love him. She loved Harry. He loved her back. That thought made her smile for a long moment, but she needed to focus. She broke up with Ron because she didn't feel the same way as he felt about her. She didn't want him to be with him. She'd be lying to him. She saved him a load of hurt by breaking it off now. She was doing a good thing, right? Hermione took a deep breath and looked up at Harry who was giving her a concerned look. "Harry, did I do the right thing? I mean, was breaking up with him the right thing?" Harry looked at her a second.

"You don't love him. At least not like that, right?" Harry said quietly, a little hesitantly. Hermione immediately shook her head. She didn't love Ron like that. She loved Harry like that. Harry put his hand on her cheek. "Then you were doing the right thing. Wouldn't it be better to do it now than do it years from now? It'd save you and him from a lot of heartbreak." She took a deep breath and smiled at him.

"All those years of me giving you answers and finally the tables have turned." She said with a small giggle before putting her arms around his neck and kissing him. She felt his hands move to her hips and then to her back, pulling her closer. Her heart was beating out of her chest and it made her wonder how it was that she had lasted this long. She thought about all the times he would talk about Cho kissing him or Ginny kissing him or Romilda having a crush on him. None of it mattered because she had her lips trapped in his, kissing perfectly like putting two pieces of a puzzle together. "Thanks, Harry." She said, pulling away and putting a hand on his cheek. She looked into his eyes and knew that these were the eyes that she could look into forever. They were the eyes that seemed so hopeless at times, but always managed to find a new fire, and right now it seemed like she was the new fire in his eyes. She held herself closer to him, keeping her lips on his and running her fingers lovingly up his neck and into his hair. That's when there was a loud burst of crying that came from upstairs. She pulled away and sighed a little.

"Come on." Harry said with a grin as he took her hand and lead her up the stairs to Teddy's room. "Who's my little man?" He said, picking Teddy up out of the crib. He bounced him for a moment before handing the stil crying baby whose hair burned a bright gold to Hermione. "Alright, just hold him like that and whisper into his ear. "Little man, don't you cry." He said quietly. Hermione paused for a moment before quietly singing into Teddy's ear. "We'll stay here by your side. Don't you worry night or day. You'll be here nice and safe." Hermione sang a little louder as Teddy's cries started to quiet. "Little baby boy just rest your eys. Just go to sleep you'll be just fine. Lay down your little head right in your crib. Mum and dad will stay here through thick and thin." Teddy was almost asleep, his hair turning blue. She smiled, laughing quietly, and looked up at Harry who had moved closer so that he was looking right at her. "Little baby boy now don't you cry. Close your eyes and keep them dry. Calm little child the time for sleep is now. We'll see you in the morning when the moon is down." Teddy was sleeping soundly, but neither Harry nor Hermione were really paying attention to the fact. Hermione was crying. She wasn't sure why, but there was something about it that made her cry and right now she couldn't stand being this far away from Harry. She set Teddy down carefully in his crib before walking to Harry and wrapping her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder, letting his shirt soak up her tears. She stood there for a moment before straightening out and walking toward the door. The two of them walked out and closed it behind them before Harry put his hands on her cheeks, brushing tears away with his thumbs. "I love you, Hermione."

It was like the whole world slowed down. After all that time worrying that she would never have another chance at what she missed out on in that tent that night and it was all made up for in one day. She just looked at him and knew that things would be different from now on. She could face Ron again and she could do anything. Harry was with her. Harry was with her and he loved her. "I love you too, Harry." She pressed her lips to his tightly, wanting-no. Needing to be close to him. She put her hands on his chest lightly as she felt Harry's arms wrap around her. She was so happy, but something kept prodding its way into her mind. The image of Ron in the hospital. She kissed along his jaw and put her forehead on his shoulder. "We should go see Ron and tell him about us. Before he finds out from someone else or something." She started to pull away, but Harry grabbed her wrist and pulled her back into his arms.

"I'll go. I'll scout everything out and then you can talk to him tomorrow." Harry said quietly. She sighed and looked into his eyes. "Trust me. I'm sure he's fine. I'll talk to him and test the waters then you can sort everything out tomorrow."

"I don't know, Harry. I don't want to seem like I'm hiding behind you." Harry scoffed.

"Hermione, I think I've hidden behind you more than you've hidden behind me. Don't worry about it." He said, looking into her eyes and kissing her tightly on the lips. She opened her mouth to object, but all that came out was the sound of her stomach growling. "Come on. Go back to the table and eat. I'll be back in a little while. I love you, Hermione." He kissed her on the forehead and took her hand. She didn't want him to go, but she knew he was right. Harry could talk to Ron in a way that she couldn't. She needed to get her thoughts in line. She watched as Harry grabbed his coat and smiled softly before slipping it on and with a quick swish of his wand, he vanished with a small crack. It was quiet, but it left a sort of ringing in Hermione's ears. She realized that it wasn't that sound it was the feeling of blood pumping through her body so quickly. Her heart had been beating out of her chest ever since she put Teddy down. She stood there for a moment before realizing everything that had just happened. It was like she had done all of it, but she didn't recognize that it had happened, but it all came rushing into her mind and a huge smile broke across her face. She giggled and spun once, feeling happier than she's been in a long time. 


	7. Chapter 7 The Boy Who Lived

Harry hated leaving, but if he was going to be with Hermione and stay friends with Ron, he needed to be careful. He needed to talk to Ron like they used to. When they were friends and they weren't worried about all of the other things going on. Auror training. Girls. Graduating. This was one of the only times Harry missed the time before Voldemort was dead. It had been a year now since Voldemort was defeated and the first while Ron and Harry were sharing a room, considering Harry was with Ginny and they were all staying at the Burrow. After Ginny broke up with him he moved out and he and Ron sort of drifted apart. He was always with his family or Hermione and he was too hurt to be near anything that reminded him of Ginny. Now, though, he didn't care about Ginny. As soon as he felt Hermione's lips on his, all he could think about was the girl that had stuck with him when he needed it. She didn't give up on him even when he had given up on himself. Why did it take so long? As Harry arrived at the hospital, he had a smile on his face that he didn't think would ever go away. He had never felt happier.

"Harry?" Harry turned as he slipped his wand into his pocket to see Neville walking up to him, hand firmly gripping Luna's hand. "What are you doing here?" He asked, an inquisitive look on his face.

"We've just come from Neville's parent's room. Lovely people." Luna said in her airy voice, a smile on her face. She looked from Harry to Neville and Harry couldn't help, but smile a little bit for his friends. Yesterday, he would have felt a sense of indifference toward them, but now everything seemed wonderful.

"I uh...I was actually looking for Ron. He splinched himself earlier and now he's ended up here." Harry said with a nod.

"Splinching. Agh..That's no good." Neville said, shaking his head a little.

"I overheard one of the nurses talking about someone who left part of their thigh behind down in the east wing. You could look there." Luna said, offering Harry a helpful smile. Harry nodded.

"Well, we've got to go actually. Grandma is expecting us for dinner." Neville said before patting Harry on the shoulder. "See you around, Harry." Harry nodded and smiled back as they walked away. Harry stood in the middle of the hospital and took a moment before turning East and heading down the hall. He peeked in and out of rooms looking for a familiar red head of hair anywhere. Near the middle of the hall was a room with the door slightly open and as Harry passed he heard a flurry of giggles and then a deeper laugh that he could tell was nervous. He pushed through the door and looked a moment before seeing Lavender Brown seated in a chair next to Ron's bed, Ron looking at her a little nervously before seeing Harry walk in. His look turned angry and then sad and then pained and then a sort of 'help me. get her away from me' look. Lavender stopped laughing and turned, seeing Harry.

"I'll talk to you later, Ron. Won-Won." She finished with a small giggle. "What a crazy year." She said before putting her hand on his a moment and walking out the door, looking at Harry a moment. Harry could see how much she had changed. She seemed to be standing a little taller and she was in no way the crazed lovesick girl that he had seen in their sixth year at Hogwarts. The war had changed a lot of people and apparently Lavender Brown was one of them. As soon as the door clicked closed Harry turned to Ron.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Ron said bitterly. Harry stepped inside the room and sat down next to his bed.

"I just thought I'd visit my friend. I am still your friend, right?" Harry said, looking at Ron in the bed. Ron looked at him for a moment.

"Well, it'd be a waste of time to end it now, eh?" Ron said, giving Harry a small smile. "I know that you and Hermione aren't doing anything." Harry froze in his seat. He kept his face steady in the hope that an opportunity would arise from him to word this correctly. To let Ron down easily. Ron kept talking, but Harry was too busy trying to think of what to say. He needed the perfect words to make sure that Ron didn't get even angrier. He needed to play this very carefully. "You're like siblings or something, right? That's wha-"

"Hermione and I are in love." Harry blurted out before mentally punching himself in the face for the completely lack of tact. Ron looked up at him with angry eyes that quickly turned sad.

"What do you mean, mate? She was with me two nights ago..." Ron said with a sigh. Ron wasn't dumb and Harry knew that. He was putting two and two together right now.

"I'm really sorry, Ron..." Harry said, moving to the front of his seat. "Mate, we just...It just happened. I'm not sure when it started, but it just did."

"I can't believe you!" Ron said, sitting up and looking at him. "I thought you were my friend, mate! And you've just been lying to me the whole time!" Harry's head sank a little at Ron's words. "I trust you. I let you date my sister. I let you into my family and you steal my girlfriend!"

"I didn't steal her." Harry said. "She broke up with you, mate. I'm sorry, but she did. It hurts, I know, but you need to get past it."

"What do you know, Harry?" Ron said bitterly.

"A lot actually, mate!" Harry answered, standing up and looking at him. "Remember? Your sister tearing my heart out and tossing it out like old biscuits?" Ron sighed and looked up at him. "Hermione and I are together now, but that doesn't stop us from being your friend. We're there for you when you need us and we'll support you no matter what. That's what friends do." There was a small pause.

"Yeah...Sorry." Ron said, taking a deep breath. Harry looked at Ron for another moment before sitting down in the chair next to Ron's bed. There was a silence in the room, but he could tell that it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Ron wasn't looking at Harry with death in his eyes anymore. Harry knew that Ron was going to have to think about this on his own and there wasn't really anything that Harry could do to change that.

"I can't believe you splinched yourself again, mate." Harry teased, a smile creeping onto his face.

"Shut up, Harry." Ron said, trying not to laugh even a little. There was another silence again and Harry could feel the tension getting better.

"So, what's up with Lavender?"

"She was all over me!" Ron said, sitting up a little and looking at Harry. Harry thought about what he had seen and 'all over him' was not what he saw. "According to her, werewolf wounds are trickier to heal, so she has to come in for treatments a lot. That means she's going to be back here. And she's going to talk to me, Harry!" Harry laughed and leaned forward in his chair.

"Oh, no. Not talking to you." Harry said sarcastically. "It's not like she's jumping on you and snogging you all the time like sixth year."

"You don't understand, Harry. She's going to be around. She's going to be around me. A lot." Ron said with a sigh. "It's this blasted leg!" He said, pushing the blanket away and revealing a large chunk carved out of his leg with a fresh dittany'd layer of skin on top.

"When you left my house, Hermione and I went to your house, but we had to leave and now that I think about it, you'll probably be glad that you're here and not there." Harry said with a little chuckle as he thought back to how they left things back at the Burrow.

"Did mum find out about Ginny and Malfoy?" Ron asked quietly. Harry nodded and leaned forward.

"How is it that basically everyone except your mother and I knew about this?" Harry asked.

"Now, that's a dumb question. It's obvious why no one told mum. She'd flip out." Ron said with a laugh, but Harry could see a small sense of fear in his eyes. "We didn't tell you because of pretty obvious reasons, too, mate."

"Yeah. That makes sense." Harry said with a sigh. "So, is she like...dating him or something? I guess I could never see Malfoy going for her."

"She made the Holyhead Harpies, mate. She's going to be famous. My guess is that Malfoy jumped on the fame early, so he can fly with it." Ron said with a sigh. "I still can't believe it though. Malfoy has changed though." Ron said with a nod.

"What do you mean? Malfoy is still an intolerable git, right?" Harry asked, standing up from his chair. "He's not forcing hims-"

"No! I'm saying in a good way. I haven't gotten a single 'weasel' or 'weaselbee' or any of that. It's just been a curt little nod then he's done." Harry looked at him like he was made of earthworms. "I'm not saying I like the guy, mate. I'm just saying that he's not as bad anymore. Maybe Gin is straightening him out." Harry was a little surprised. He was furious when the Malfoys escaped imprisonment after the war, but he got over it when he assumed he would never have to deal with them again.

"Well, as long as he's not a death eater anymore." Harry said with a nod. The door opened and a nurse walked in.

"Time for another treatment of dittany, Mr. Weasley." She said with a bright smile. Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder.

"Get better, mate. I should probably go." He said with a nod before turning away.

"Hey, Harry?" Ron said quietly. Harry turned. "Do apologize to Hermione for me, will you?" He said with a sigh. Harry nodded.

"Will do, mate. We'll visit you tomorrow." Harry said with a smile. "I'll be sure to tell Lavender that you're alone in here when I leave." Ron's eyes widened and he got a scared look on his face. "I'm kidding. See you, Ron." Harry walked out of the room and walked back to the middle of the restaurant. He never anticipated it going that well, but now that it did he was incredibly grateful. A smile spread across his face and with a swish of his wand he apparated back to his house. The sound of crying started only a moment after. Harry sighed and started toward the stairs, shedding his coat and leaving it on the wall hook.

"Oh!" Hermione said as she bumped into him. "You're back." She said, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him. Harry smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I am and I'll tell you all about it after we deal with him." Harry said, kissing her on the forehead and starting toward the stairs.

"I've been meaning to ask." Hermione said as they reached his door. "He'll be two soon. Isn't it odd that he hasn't talk yet?" Harry shrugged and took Teddy out of his crib.

"I don't know, Hermione." Harry said with a small laugh as he bounced Teddy gently, rubbing his back. "I sort of assumed it had something to do with Remus and Tonks. Like somehow he could tell that they were dead. I mean, he doesn't have parents, Hermione." Hermione nodded and rubbed Teddy's head, running her fingers through his bright orange hair.

"He has you, Harry." She said with a warm smile. Harry looked at her a moment then moved forward placing his lips on hers.

"And we have you." He said, putting a hand on her waist.

"You've been taking care of him for a lot longer than I have, Harry." She said with a smile as she took Teddy from Harry. "Such a cute little boy though, aren't you, little Teddy." Teddy cooed a little as his hair turned a shade of pink.

"He's taken a liking to you very quickly though." Harry said with a smile. The image of Hermione holding Teddy was just too much. Harry thought his smile was unbreakable before, but now he knew it was.

"Harry." Harry and Hermione froze.

"Teddy, what did you just say?" Hermione said, bouncing him in her arms. "Did you say Harry?"

"Harry." Harry looked at Hermione who smiled up at him. Harry wanted to cry right there. There was so much that he wanted to do at that moment, but all he could do and all he wanted to do was hug Hermione. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers.

"I love you, Hermione." He whispered against her lips.

"We both love you, Harry." She said with a smile. "We always will." 


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue - The Hogwarts Express

September 1st came faster than either Harry or Hermione had anticipated. The letters came for their children and very soon they found themselves in Kings Cross Station, pushing a trolley topped with a cage with an owl inside observed its surrounding as pedestrians busily hurrying to catch their train observed the owl.

"So, we're just supposed to run straight at the wall?" James asked, looking up at his mother hesitantly.

"It's not so bad, James." Teddy said, patting him on the back. "I didn't believe it at first either, but that's how it works." Harry looked down at his son and then up at Teddy. He was so proud of him.

"You should be proud of him, Harry." Hermione said like she could read his mind. "You'll be going in just a few years, Jazz." She said to the little black-haired girl in her arms.

"It's 4 now, isn't it? My little girl is getting so big!" Harry said, taking his daughter from Hermione.

"Alright, James. You ready, mate?" Teddy said with a raised eyebrow as they both stood behind his cart. "You countdown."

"1...2...3!" They ran and disappeared into Platform 9 and 3/4. Harry turned to Hermione and smiled.

"Shall we?" He said with a smile before kissing her lightly on the lips. She nodded and they burst through into the platform where they were met with walls and walls of people they knew and families they hadn't seen in years.

"Harry. Hermione." Harry turned and saw Draco and Ginny a boy with a mop of blond hair on his head.

"It's good to see you." Ginny said with a small smile. Harry nodded at the two of them and watched as they walked away.

"That's wasn't awkward at all." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Dad! Mum! Where'd you go?" James walked up, leading a few familiar faces behind.

"Hey, you guys!" Lavender said with a grin. "And hello, little Jasmine."

"Hi, Aunt Wav. Hi, Unca Won." Jasmine said quietly, waving to Ron and Lavender.

"James, where did Teddy go?" Hermione said with raised eyebrow.

"Well, Teddy found Victoire and disappeared and then Sybill found me and then we found Aunt Lavender and Uncle Ron."

"We asked where you guys were. And here we are." Lavender said with a smile before gasping a little and putting a hand on the baby bump on her stomach. "Ron, Artie is kicking." Ron put his hand on her stomach and smiled.

"He's kicking, Harry!" Ron said with a chuckle before kissing Lavender.

"So, Sybill, are you excited for your first year?" Harry asked with a smile. "It's all James has been talking about since we got his letter."

"Dad..." James said, his cheeks a little pink as he gave his father a pleading look. "You're embarrassing me." Harry put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, we need to load up the trolleys." Hermione said, checking her watch. "The train'll be leaving soon."

"Let's go, children!" Lavender said with a giggle as she grabbed the nearest trolley.

"Alright, now be sure to find your aunt Hermione if you need help with anything." Ron instructed the kids "And be sure to beat all of your cousins especially Scorpius."

"Ron..." Lavender whined, trying to hide a smile. "Artie, just do your best. No matter what."

"We are going to be proud of you, no matter what." Hermione said with a smile.

"Pwoud of oo." Jasmine mumbled, waving at James. James smiled and hugged his mom and his sister.

"I'm going to miss you, Jazz." James said. Jasmine wiggled a little and adjusted in Hermione's arms so that she could grab James and kiss his cheek. He smiled and then turned to Harry.

"Dad, I'm going to miss you." James said quietly. Harry smiled and hugged his son.

"James, I'll be sure to write you and your mother every single day."

"Even if you're out with the Aurors?" James asked with a sigh. Harry nodded.

"Especially when I'm out with the aurors. I'll need you guys when I'm out there." Harry said with a smile. "Do your best. That's all we want. Be sure to write. And most of all," Harry crouched down. "Be nice to your mother." He whispered in his ear. James and Harry glanced over at Hermione and then laughed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She asked, looking slightly concerned. Harry stood back up.

"Nothing. Just nothing." He said, slipping an arm around her waist. James laughed.

"You coming, James? I saved you a seat." Sybill said with a smile. James looked back at his parents.

"Bye!" He shouted before leaving with Sybill.

"I'll see you on the train, sweetie!" Hermione shouted back.

"I am going to miss you so much." Harry said with a sigh as he put his hands on her hips and pulled her in for a kiss.

"Ewwww!" Jasmine groaned and put her hands on her parents, pushing them apart.

"Oh, come here, Jazz." Harry said, taking his daughter from Hermione. "It's just going to be you and me for a while. Mommy's going to go teach people." Harry looked up at Hermione. "Are you nervous for your first year?"

"No, no...Kind of." She said with a small giggle as she hugged Harry. "I'm going to miss you, Harry. And you too, Jazz."

"Professor Mc-I'm never going to get used to calling her Minerva." Harry said with a chuckle. "Minerva...said that she'd be willing to help you whenever you need it."

"I know, but I'm just really going to miss you, Harry." She finally pulled away as the train whistled. "I need to go. Bye, Harry." She said with a sigh. Harry pulled her in for a kiss on the cheek.

"Be sure to write." He said before watching her walk away toward the train.

"Bye, mummy!" Jazz waved goodbye to her mom. " I wove you, mommy! Daddy woves you too, wight, Daddy?" Harry nodded.

"Daddy loves mommy a whole lot."


End file.
